Redhat has unveiled an open-source project called Mugshot that some bloggers are labeling a MySpace-style open-source social network product. The development team has supposedly gleaned all the best bits from the various social networking websites currently out there, mixed them together with some Web 2.0-goodness and created Mugshot.
The Mugshot team disagrees. In a post on the developers blog, they argue that Mugshot is not designed to replace MySpace, Orkut, et. al. at all. Instead, Mugshot complements these, and other, web services.
So what is Mugshot?
Mugshot consists of two parts; a client app and a server component. From the user’s perspective, it’s a glorified contact list, with some nifty extras that integrate with other sites. For example, to sign-in, you can use your AIM screenname. And with Mugshot, you could automatically publish your iTunes playlist history to your MySpace profile. Or you could share links, and comment on them — like Digg. The goal here is not necessarily to displace or replace the existing web services you already use, but to work with them and enhance them. This is true with links, music, IM and eventually other services such as Flickr.
While I agree that this approach is not an “open source MySpace” as some have sensationally hawked it, but it is a social networking tool. In fact, I’d argue that Mugshot ismore of a social networking tool than MySpace, in the purest sense of the phrase. Mugshot won’t get you thousands of so-called friends that you don’t really know. It leverages your real friends, and their friends.
Of course, being from Redhat it’ll run on Linux, but at least there will also be a compatible client for Windows.
The Mugshot beta is closed, but you can sign-up and they’ll notify you when they ready for more testers. Or if you’re the kind who likes to muck around in the code, visit the Mugshot Developers Wiki.
technorati tags: mugshot, redhat, social networking, myspace
I agree with you that it is a social networking tool. I’m not sure why they are trying to avoid the phrase, besides not wanting to be thrown in with Myspace.
But it has the friend of a friend system at its core, and with out it the app would be useless. This makes it a social networking tool…much more useful then Myspace.
-Brian
I agree with you that it is a social networking tool. I’m not sure why they are trying to avoid the phrase, besides not wanting to be thrown in with Myspace.
But it has the friend of a friend system at its core, and with out it the app would be useless. This makes it a social networking tool…much more useful then Myspace.
-Brian
We need more options for running myspace-like sites inside school LANs. Kids are excellent at myspace but see web 2.0 techs like candy and not practical ways of using them for academia. Are there any solutions to run on a LAN for schools that mimic myspace?
We need more options for running myspace-like sites inside school LANs. Kids are excellent at myspace but see web 2.0 techs like candy and not practical ways of using them for academia. Are there any solutions to run on a LAN for schools that mimic myspace?
ryness,
Are you familiar with ELGG (http://elgg.org/)? It’s quite MySpace-like. I’ve been playing with it a bit and plan to give it a trial soon.
-Tim
ryness,
Are you familiar with ELGG (http://elgg.org/)? It’s quite MySpace-like. I’ve been playing with it a bit and plan to give it a trial soon.
-Tim
One of the questions that I’d like to see answered is just why this is hyped up so much as being ‘Open Source’. Someone will no doubt correct me because I know I must be missing the point, but the open source aspect seems almost irrelevant for this software this case.
One of the questions that I’d like to see answered is just why this is hyped up so much as being ‘Open Source’. Someone will no doubt correct me because I know I must be missing the point, but the open source aspect seems almost irrelevant for this software this case.
Nice Digging! I like your analysis.
Nice Digging! I like your analysis.
“One of the questions that I’d like to see answered is just why this is hyped up so much as being ‘Open Source’.”
Hopefully people will be able to setup their own Mugshot servers.
“One of the questions that I’d like to see answered is just why this is hyped up so much as being ‘Open Source’.”
Hopefully people will be able to setup their own Mugshot servers.